IIT Bombay Launches Wadhwani Hub & Innovation Centre with INR 300 Cr Commitment

Within the Hub, the Wadhwani Innovation and Translation Centre (WITC) will focus on translational research, startup incubation, and commercialization.

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has announced the establishment of the Wadhwani Hub for Biosciences, Bioengineering, Health, and Medicine and the Wadhwani Innovation and Translation Centre (WITC), backed by a combined funding commitment of INR 300 crore. 

The initiative includes a philanthropic investment of INR 100 crore from the Wadhwani Foundation, with IIT-B raising an additional INR 200 crore to support the project.

The announcement follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the YUGM Innovation Conclave on April 29, where he underscored the importance of reducing the time from innovation to commercialization. 

He highlighted super hubs at IIT Kanpur and IIT Bombay as key players in advancing India’s innovation ecosystem.

Wadhwani Research Hub

The newly announced Wadhwani Hub will be housed in a 120,000-square-foot facility at IIT-B and aims to advance interdisciplinary research in biosciences, healthcare systems, and medical technologies.

It will also strengthen M.Tech and PhD programs while integrating AI and machine learning into its research agenda.

Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, founder of the Wadhwani Foundation and an IIT-B alumnus, stated, “The Wadhwani Hub and WITC at IIT Bombay will help make India a global leader in biosciences and healthcare while driving meaningful socio-economic progress.”

Within the Hub, the Wadhwani Innovation and Translation Centre (WITC) will focus on translational research, startup incubation, and commercialization. 

The center aims to become a national catalyst in turning scientific discoveries into real-world solutions, supporting the government’s goal to speed up lab-to-market transitions and enhance public-private-academic partnerships.

This initiative also builds on IIT-B’s decade-long collaboration with the Foundation, which began with the Wadhwani Research Centre for Bioengineering (WRCB). 

The new centers are set to deepen that partnership and elevate India’s standing in global bioscience innovation.

Prof. Shireesh Kedare, Director of IIT-B, noted, “This initiative will not only strengthen our research and academic ecosystem but also catalyze innovation and entrepreneurship in critical sectors of national importance.”

The project aligns with several national initiatives, including the INR 50,000 crore National Research Foundation, the India-AI Mission, and the government’s focus on expanding R&D capabilities in higher education.

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